Jump to content

AL Central Farm Report


Gene Honda Civic

Recommended Posts

http://www.all-baseball.com/nextyear/archives/015355.html

 

Sox portion:

Chicago White Sox

1. Brandon McCarthy

2. Brian Anderson

3. Chris Young

4. Kris Honel

5. Ryan Sweeney

6. Josh Fields

7. Orionny Lopez

8. Francisco Hernandez

9. Gio Gonzalez

10. Antoin Gray

 

When Ken Williams traded Jeremy Reed to acquire Freddy Garcia, I looked to the Sox system and saw nothing. Brian Anderson was putting together a nice season in the Carolina League, but Kris Honel was hurt and Ryan Sweeney had fallen on his face. What was once ranked Baseball America’s top system was decimated, possibly last in the Majors. And then the Brandon McCarthy show began…it hasn’t stopped yet.

 

I don’t know what to make of McCarthy, whether he is the next Black Jack or simply a right-handed Joe Kennedy. Hell, he could be another Jon Rauch. The White Sox are sure trying to make him that, pitching him in excess of 170 innings this year. Plain and simple, that should be illegal. Tell him nice season, and to shut it down until the AFL, where he can get his extra 25 innings. But don’t send him to AA, c’mon. Didn’t you learn something from Rauch, and now Honel?

 

What I also don’t understand is taking Orionny Lopez and Ryan Rodriguez, enjoying modest seasons in the Sally League, and promoting them to AAA. Hopefully someone could explain this to me, because I can’t understand why anyone would challenge a 21-year-old this much. Doesn’t the scouting director know anything in excess is bad?

 

And like I did with the Twins, let me close with a comment on the draft, and then a sleeper. Gio Gonzalez, a southpaw from Florida, should also be chalked up for having a stellar debut. Josh Fields was decent in the Carolina League, but Gonzalez absolutely dominated short-season league, and should be ready for full-season ball next year. My sleeper? Francisco Hernandez. The 18-year-old, switch-hitting catcher, was promoted to the Sally League late after a .326/.372/.492 line in Bristol. It’s too early to start calling anyone the next Victor Martinez, but just keep your eye on Hernandez.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 58
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

For us laypeople, what parts bothered you?  Just curious.

Well put, Mike.

 

Rex, what is with all the one sentence cloak-and-dagger posts lately? Tell us what you mean when you say stuff like that, we don't bite.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hard to understand how anybody could say Ryan Sweeney had falled on his face when he was a 19 year old playing in HIgh A ball and finished second in the league in hits.

 

That's dumb.

 

 

And I think there is one major omission from his list -- Mike Spidale.

 

Showed he can hit, get on base and score runs.

 

if Spidale was in the Oakland farm system, he'd be considered the next great thing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For us laypeople, what parts bothered you?  Just curious.

a couple of things......

 

1. His whole rant on the promotion of Rodriguez and Lopez to AAA. That is VERY simple to explain. Charlotte needed players for the final week of the season and they weren't going to upset their playoff rosters in Birmingham and Winston. So they took a few players from Kannapolis and used them as fill-ins. Lopez had two appearances and Rodriguez one. So what. It's not like they plan to start those guys in AAA next season. All he had to do is ask.

 

2. He criticizes the promotion of McCarthy to AA. If he wasn't pitching in AA, he would be in Winston. They aren't going to shut down a pitcher in the middle of a great season and a pennant race, just because his innings might be a bit high. Does this guy know McCarthy? Does he know what his pitch counts usually are? Blind criticism like that is just stupid.

 

3. Saying Sweeney had "fallen on his face" is ridiculous. Sweeney is a 19 year old kid who struggled adapting to a higher level. He made the necessary adjustments and ended up with a nice season. Anyone who thought Sweeney was going to bust out hitting .320 with 25 HR and 100 RBI making that jump is naive. Say he struggled early, but came on late. The fact Sweeney struggled early on has no bearing on the state of the farm system.

 

Some of what he said made sense. Hence my "half an idiot" comment.

 

That help? :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some of what he said made sense.  Hence my "half an idiot" comment. 

 

That help?  :)

Sure does. Thanks Rex :)

 

Pretty much I count on most of my minor league info from you guys, so if I ask questions like that it is just to better understand what you all are talking about. If I didn't ask, I would be completely clueless for some of the stuff you guys just assume.

 

And as usual, great job with getting us tons of info. I think I speak for everyone when I say, we appreciate it tons.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sure does.  Thanks Rex :)

 

Pretty much I count on most of my minor league info from you guys, so if I ask questions like that it is just to better understand what you all are talking about.  If I didn't ask, I would be completely clueless for some of the stuff you guys just assume.

 

And as usual, great job with getting us tons of info.  I think I speak for everyone when I say, we appreciate it tons.

Thanks man.... It is late in the season and I am a bit irritable with things coming to an end. Birmingham's season could be over as soon as Friday (don't see that happening) so then I will have tons of free time. What the hell is a guy supposed to do? Get a girlfriend? lol

 

So bear with me if I seem a bit short or assumptive for a while. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks man.... It is late in the season and I am a bit irritable with things coming to an end.  Birmingham's season could be over as soon as Friday (don't see that happening) so then I will have tons of free time.  What the hell is a guy supposed to do?  Get a girlfriend?  lol

 

So bear with me if I seem a bit short or assumptive for a while.  :)

Well all too soon we can talk Indiana high school basketball... :P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

a couple of things...... 

 

1. His whole rant on the promotion of Rodriguez and Lopez to AAA.  That is VERY simple to explain.  Charlotte needed players for the final week of the season and they weren't going to upset their playoff rosters in Birmingham and Winston.  So they took a few players from Kannapolis and used them as fill-ins.  Lopez had two appearances and Rodriguez one.  So what.  It's not like they plan to start those guys in AAA next season.  All he had to do is ask.

 

2.  He criticizes the promotion of McCarthy to AA.  If he wasn't pitching in AA, he would be in Winston.  They aren't going to shut down a pitcher in the middle of a great season and a pennant race, just because his innings might be a bit high.  Does this guy know McCarthy?  Does he know what his pitch counts usually are?  Blind criticism like that is just stupid. 

 

3.  Saying Sweeney had "fallen on his face" is ridiculous.  Sweeney is a 19 year old kid who struggled adapting to a higher level.  He made the necessary adjustments and ended up with a nice season.  Anyone who thought Sweeney was going to bust out hitting .320 with 25 HR and 100 RBI making that jump is naive.  Say he struggled early, but came on late.  The fact Sweeney struggled early on has no bearing on the state of the farm system.

 

Some of what he said made sense.  Hence my "half an idiot" comment. 

 

That help?  :)

:notworthy Well done, Rex! :headbang

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Basically what Rex and Cerb said sum up what I thought was wrong with the list. And Orionny Lopez at 7? Wow.

Honestly, I wasn't even concerned with his list..... I haven't processed all of that info yet to try and rank them. But off the top of my head, #7 seems high for Lopez and I don't see Gray being in the top 10.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Honestly, I wasn't even concerned with his list.....  I haven't processed all of that info yet to try and rank them.  But off the top of my head, #7 seems high for Lopez and I don't see Gray being in the top 10.

Exactly. I didn't really think of a ranking, but Lopez wouldn't be in my top 10.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi guys, I'm the half-idiot that created this list, Bryan Smith. I saw through my list of referrers that I was linked here, and wanted to come over and respond. I should start off by saying that I'm from Chicago, and while I lean to the Cubs, definitely like the Sox. I went to probably 8 games during the summer, because my family has season tickets there.

 

First of all, in response to Soxman, I definitely didn't try to make it sound like the Sox have nothing. Ken Williams has sacrificed the farm system in recent years, and it shows. But the Sox have proven very resilient, and keep finding players worth talking about. And now to my largest critic, Rex...

 

I will definitely stand by the fact that Lopez and Rodriguez shouldn't have been promoted to AAA, and McCarthy shut down. The fact is that prospects need to be treated like the bonus babies they are. Kris Honel threw more than 300 innings in 2002-2003, and it proved to hurt the system. I like Honel, I saw him in high school, and I would hate for what happened to him to happen to a talent like McCarthy. Is a minor league playoff push worth the second coming of Black Jack? Do you honestly care about your minor league teams that much? Same thing for Lopez and Rodriguez. Both handled the promotion well, and it probably won't turn out to be a big deal. But, the potential damage to a pitcher's psyche was not worth it.

 

And yes, my wording was hard on Ryan Sweeney. No, he didn't fall flat on his face. But if I remember correctly, and I'll try to find the link, the Sox were saying in Spring Trainining that Sweeney was advanced enough to go to AA and possibly be up by year's end. He's a good prospect, in the Brad Nelson mold, but he isn't what they thought in Spring Training. I'm sure from Ozzie's expectations, it's fair to say he fell on his face.

 

Maybe I dropped the ball down the rankings, and I'm sorry for that. Spidale looks solid to me, and probably shouold have been before Gray. I like constructive criticism a lot, as it helps me learn what I did wrong. You guys probably know the system better than I do, this was what my bird's eye look did. Thanks for calling me out on it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And yes, my wording was hard on Ryan Sweeney.  No, he didn't fall flat on his face.  But if I remember correctly, and I'll try to find the link, the Sox were saying in Spring Trainining that Sweeney was advanced enough to go to AA and possibly be up by year's end.  He's a good prospect, in the Brad Nelson mold, but he isn't what they thought in Spring Training.  I'm sure from Ozzie's expectations, it's fair to say he fell on his face.

Agreed on the Sweeney front, and I'm one of the few on here. I wouldn't say fell flat on his face, but his first half was atrocious. For a guy that was called a God by a scout or some baseball guy on the inside, .283 just doesn't cut it imo. He isn't that great of a prospect. Next season is make or break time. If he doesn't have a great season next year, he isn't a great prospect. It's that simple. That's not me saying that he won't be any good, or won't make the majors, but he has to start producing in regular season ball (not Spring Training) before I think he is as good as advertised.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...